Cleveland Foundation board approves $16.3 million in grants

The Cleveland Foundation’s board of directors today signed off on $16.3 million in grants, including $771,000 to support two programs that will form the basis for the foundation’s Encore initiative — an effort aimed at providing opportunities for those 50 years old and older to apply their experiences and passions into solving some of the region's social woes.
As part of the effort, the foundation, which marks its centennial Jan. 2, awarded $526,000 to Greater Cleveland Volunteers to expand the local AARP Experience Corps intergenerational tutoring program, which focuses on improving young students’ literacy skills. The foundation also awarded $245,000 to Business Volunteers Unlimited to attract a greater number of older volunteers and to explore the launch of a fellowship program that could provide paid opportunities.
“There is great interest among experienced Clevelanders to engage with youth and to work with them to help tackle our community’s most pressing problems,” said Robert E. Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation, in a news release. “As part of the Cleveland Foundation’s 100-year legacy of turning passion into purpose, Encore promises to be a transformational program for Greater Cleveland by linking generations across every segment of our community, in order to strengthen it.”
Other notable grants are as follows:

$600,000 to Teach for America to fund the third year of Cleveland’s program, supporting 200 corps members deployed in area schools.

$350,000 to Esperanza to expand its academic and family engagement programs, including one that seeks to enhance the role of parents in their children’s education.

$200,000 to Guidestone to support its Stepstone Academy charter school in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood.

$100,000 to support the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s transformation plan. The funding will assist with the creation and distribution of a public report card for district and charter schools.

$100,000 to United Way to support its work of providing social services to meet the needs of CMSD’s families and students.

$200,000 to Cleveland Public Theatre to expand its Teatro Publico de Cleveland project, which focuses on cultivating ethnically diverse actors in the Cleveland area.

$80,000 to DANCECleveland to expand its DanceAdvance Team project, which is aimed at bringing in attendees who have never been to a dance performance.

$661,000 to Starting Point, which bills itself as a child care and early education resource and referral agency, to manage after school and summer programming. The programming is part of MyCom, the foundation's youth development initiative in conjunction with Cuyahoga County.

$300,000 to Youth Opportunities Unlimited to lead youth employment programs for MyCom.

$800,000 to Voices for Ohio’s Children, the lead advocacy organization for MyCom.